Toth won the 2012 election to the State House district 15. In February 2013,newly inaugurated Representative Toth was elected by his colleagues to the House Republican Caucus Policy Committee as the East Texas representative on the panel.
In his first legislative session in 2013,Toth authored and carried the CSCOPE Transparency Act in the House (SB-1406). The bill brought the CSCOPE (Common Core) curriculum under the purview of the Texas State Board of Education.[5]
Gun legislation
He authored the Firearms Protection Act (HB 1076) restricting federal control and regulations of firearms,which made it a Class A misdemeanor to interfere with a Texan's Second Amendment rights.[6][7] The act also protected Texas' state and local law enforcement officers from violating the U.S. Constitution,and prevented the federal government from targeting certain firearms and accessories with restrictions.[8]Texas Monthly Magazine called this the "nuttiest gun bill ever" and placed Steve on their dishonorable mention list of the worst Legislators in Texas that year.[9] Toth received assistance from Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott in drafting the bill.[10] On May 6,2013 HB 1076 received enough votes to pass in The Texas House but was never approved by The Senate so did not become law.[11] Toth supports constitutional carry for Texas.[12][13]
2019–2021
Toth in March 2021
On January 11,2019,Toth filed House Bill 792 (Senate Bill 345) with the 86th Legislature and entitled it the Jones Forest Preservation Act ("Jones Forest Act"). The Jones Forest Act protects the 1,722-acre William Goodrich Jones State Forest from development. Texas A&M University suggested that the university would develop a Texas A&M campus on the land,which sits next to The Woodlands,Texas. Neighborhood associations in the area complained that the development would add to traffic congestion and eliminate a forest that has been part of Texas heritage since 1923.[14][15] It was passed by both the Texas House and the Texas Senate and sent to Governor Greg Abbott on May 25,2019.
In January 2019,he was appointed to the House Appropriations Committee by Texas House SpeakerDennis Bonnen.[16] On January 25,Toth along with Will Metcalf and Cecil Bell filed House Bill 1042 which would require Texas schools and law enforcement agencies to establish active shooter response plans and law enforcement agencies to conduct annual drills while also requiring law enforcement to immediately contain or eliminate a threat.[17][18]
On February 7,2019,Toth filed the JD Lambright Local Government Ethics Reform Act (HB-1495),which requires cities,counties,and other political subdivisions statewide to post contracts they have with taxpayer-funded lobbyists and to post how much they are paying the lobbyists. It was filed in the Senate by Brandon Creighton on February 8 as Senate Bill 710. The house bill was passed by both chambers and was sent to the governor for signature on May 29,2019.[19] Governor Abbott signed the bill into law on June 14,2019.[20]
In February 2019,Toth co-authored Texas House Bill 1500 which would ban abortions after the detection of an unborn child's heartbeat.[21] He also co-authored Texas House Bill 896 which would prohibit abortion.[22] In March 2019,Toth became a cosponsor of SB 22 which prohibits government entities from providing taxpayer-funded resources (including cash,goods,services,and anything of value) to Planned Parenthood. It was a response to Planned Parenthood's $1-per-year rental agreement with the City of Austin for a clinic. It passed both chambers and was sent to Abbott on May 25,2019 for signature.[23] The bill was signed into law by Abbott on June 7,2019.[24]
On March 5,2019,Toth introduced Texas HB 3145,the School Lunch Bill. It clarifies that each parent,including the non-custodial parent,in a divorce can visit their child during school lunch and school activities regardless of possession schedule. It passed both chambers and was sent to the governor on May 28,2019.
In March 2019 Toth introduced Texas House Bill 2518 which aims to reduce cannabis possession from a Class B to a Class C misdemeanor. To take it down from B to C would remove jail time for simple possession (180 days is the current penalty) and lower the monetary penalty from $2,000 down to $500.[25][26]
In August 2020,Toth,along with fellow state representatives Mike Lang,Kyle Biedermann,Bill Zedler,and state senator Bob Hall sued Texas Governor Greg Abbott over a $295 million Covid-19contact tracing contract Abbott awarded to a small Frisco,Texas technology firm without approval from the Texas legislature.[27] In May 2020,Toth protested Abbott's lockdown order by getting a haircut.[28]
In November 2020,during the 87th Texas legislative session,Toth filed again the Texas Firearm Protection Act (HB 112),basically the same piece of legislation that he originally filed in January 2019. The previous version passed the Texas House with a 100-vote supermajority but died in the Senate. Governor Greg Abbott assisted Toth in writing the bill in 2013 when Abbott was serving as Texas Attorney General. It is also known as the Second Amendment sanctuary bill. It would make any attempt to enforce federal gun laws in Texas void if those laws were not part of Texas law.[29] The bill had 14 co-sponsors including Briscoe Cain,Valoree Swanson,Cecil Bell,and Tony Tinderholt. It was referred to the State Affairs Committee of the House,from which it never progressed. However,a similar bill,House Bill 2622 (by Representative Justin Holland and Senator Bob Hall) passed the Texas House (with Toth's support) and the Texas Senate and was signed by GovernorGreg Abbott on June 17,2021.[30]
Toth was ranked the fourth most conservative House member of the 2021 Texas legislature by Mark Jones,a political science professor at Rice University.[31]
On July 19,2021,Toth introduced a bill to conduct a forensic audit of the November 2020 election in the 13 counties with the largest populations in Texas,which tend to lean for the Democratic Party. The bill has been named the Texas Voter Confidence Act.[32][33] Asked why he did not call for an audit of all counties in the state,Toth argued it would be time-consuming and expensive,and cited the Republican lean of the counties,"What’s the point? I mean,all the small counties are red."[34] Election experts said that it did not make sense to specifically exclude Republican-leaning counties if the intent was to detect errors.[35] On September 23,2021,former President Donald Trump endorsed Toth's House bill 16.[36]
2021–present
Toth,during the pre-filing period of the Texas legislature,in November 2022,introduced House Bill 41,which would prohibit healthcare providers from receiving professional liability insurance coverage for performing or prescribing certain “gender transitioning”procedures for children,including genital removal surgeries,chemical castration,puberty blockers,and other sex-change therapies.[37]
Toth supports a ban on Democrats being given committee chairmanships as long as the Republicans hold the majority of seats.[38]
On February 8,2023,Toth was appointed to the Appropriations and Corrections committees of the 88th Session. Toth has served on the Appropriations Committee every legislative session since 2019.[39]
On March 7,2023,Toth filed HB 3928,which is also known as the Beckley Wilson Act. The Act focuses on public school students with dyslexia,specifically reforming dyslexia services,parental notice,and the rights of parents with students with disabilities. It passed the Texas House on May 22 and passed the Texas Senate on May 23. It is awaiting the signature of Texas Governor Greg Abbott.[40][41]
In the 2012 Republican primary for the District 15 House seat,the more conservative Toth unseated the five-term incumbent,Rob Eissler,56.5% to 43.5%.[43][44] In the general election,Toth defeated the Libertarian Party nominee,Sterling Russell 87% to 13%. No Democrat sought the seat.[45]
2014 Texas Senate campaign
On October 3,2013,State Senator Tommy Williams said he would not run again in the State Senate Republican primary election scheduled for March 4,2014.[46][47]
In the May 10,2014,special election to fill the Senate seat that Williams left,Toth came in second place behind Brandon Creighton.[48][49][50][51] Creighton received 45.2%,Toth 23.7%,Gordy Bunch 21.8%,and Mike Galloway 9.3%.[51]
Toth and Creighton then met in a special election runoff on August 5,2014.[51] In the special election runoff,Toth was defeated by Creighton 67% to 33% percent.[52][53]Rice University political science professor Mark Jones said both Creighton and Toth "are significantly more conservative than Williams."[54]
In the March 1,primary,Toth and two fellow challengers held incumbent Brady to 53 percent of the vote.[59][60] In 2014,Brady had received 68 percent of the vote in the primary.[59] In 2016,Brady prevailed with 64,745 votes (53.4 percent) to Toth's 45,298 (37.4 percent). Two other candidates held the remaining 9.2 percent of the ballots cast.[60] During the primary,Toth and the two other challengers (Craig McMichael and Andre Dean) had an informal détente among themselves. As all three were politically to the right of Representative Brady,and believing none of them would win an outright majority of votes cast their immediate goal was to force a runoff. Their hope was that then the top vote-getter among themselves would face off and defeat Brady for the nomination,but Brady did get over 50% of the vote,avoiding a runoff.[61][60]
Toth spent $89,325 on the primary.[62] Brady spent over $1.5 million on the primary.[63] Toth criticized Brady for compromising too often with President Obama,[62] supporting the omnibus federal budget bill,and voting to revive the U.S. Export-Import Bank.[64] Toth had support from Tea Party groups.[64] Brady received significant support from the business wing of the Republican Party. FEC filings show leading up to the primary and general elections he received campaign contributions from the following industries:Oil and gas $401K,healthcare $367K,insurance $302K,securities and investments $269K,and pharmaceuticals $261K.[65]
2018 Texas House campaign
On May 31,2017,Toth announced that he would be running for his old Texas House seat,District 15,since the incumbent,Mark Keough,announced he would not be running for re-election but instead run for Montgomery County Judge.[66][67] Toth's opponent in the Republican primary was Mary "Jackie" Waters of The Woodlands.[68][69] Toth stated that he wanted to reduce property taxes for homeowners by implementing an acquisition-based appraisal system.[70] A taxpayer's home value would be set upon the purchase price,regardless of how long the taxpayer lives in the house.[70] Toth wants to encourage the San Jacinto River Authority ("SJRA") to work on the flood control aspects of its mission statement,instead of keeping Lake Conroe at full capacity for recreational purposes.[69] He has also advocated for the directors of the SJRA board to be elected positions and for the directors to have a civil engineering background,to encourage effective floodplain models.[69]
On March 6,2018,Toth won the Republican nomination for Texas House District 15 over Waters by 78% to 21%.[71] Toth received the largest vote margin of any candidate in Montgomery County,defeating Waters by 58% of the vote,a three to one margin.[72]
In the November 2018 general election,Toth faced Democrat Lorena Perez McGill of The Woodlands.[73] Toth indicated that in the general election against McGill he would be focusing on lowering property taxes,passing tax reform,and raising teacher salaries.[71] From July through September 30,2018,Toth raised $65,756,spent $7,026 and had $56,896 on hand.[74] For the period from September 28 to October 27,2018,Toth raised $24,279,spent $30,722,and had $51,629 on hand.[75] On Election Day,Toth defeated McGill 67% to 33%,a two to one margin.[76]
2020 Texas House campaign
Toth was unopposed in the March 3,2020 Republican primary. He faced Democrat Lorena Perez McGill again in the 2020 general election in November. He defeated McGill by a two to one margin,67% to 33% in 2018.
During the election,he was part of a group of Texas Republicans who filed lawsuits in both state and federal courts seeking to invalidate about 127,000 drive-thru cast votes in Harris County,Texas.[77] Toth said that the county exceeded their state constitutional authority by allowing drive-thru voting as an alternative to walk-in voting during the COVID-19 pandemic,a change that Toth argued that should have only been decided by the Texas Legislature. Democrats said that this would disenfranchise everybody who cast drive-thru votes in good faith.[78][79] The Texas Supreme Court dismissed the motion without issuing an order or opinion.[77] Upon this defeat Toth then took the case to federal court,initially losing at the lower court level. Federal Judge Andrew Hanen ruled that the plaintiffs did not have standing to sue.[80] After the appeal,nine of the ten drive-thru voting sites were shut down by interim Harris County Clerk Chris Hollins,the outcome that Toth original intended.[81]
On November 3,2020,Toth again defeated McGill 66.5% to 33.5%,a two-to-one margin.[82] McGill raised $44,828,but she spent $58,422.[83]
2022 Texas House campaign
Toth faced an opponent in the March 1,2022,Republican primary. His opponent was attorney Maris Blair of The Woodlands,whose law firm primarily collects taxes. Blair has never held office and her late father's law firm is the largest tax collection firm in Texas.[84] As of the beginning of early voting,February 14,2022,Toth had cash on hand of $252,801 and Blair had $26,117.[85] Toth won the Republican primary with 69% of the vote to Blair's 31%,a two-to-one margin of victory. Toth faced schoolteacher Democrat Kristin Johnson of The Woodlands in the general election.[86][87] On November 8,2022,Toth defeated Johnson 66% to 34%,once again a two-to-one margin.[88]
2024 Texas House campaign
Toth faced an opponent in the March 2024 Republican primary named Stephen "Skeeter" Hubert of Conroe,Texas. Hubert was a Conroe ISD school board member,whose appointed term on the board ended in November 2024.[89] As of October 29,2023,Hubert had raised $9,360 and had spent $6,777,leaving him with $1,497 cash on hand. At the same point in time,Toth had $52,497 cash on hand.[90] On December 31,2023,Toth reported having $168,508[91] cash on hand while Hubert had $25,595.[92] On February 28,2024,Toth reported having $33,521 cash on hand[93] and Hubert reported having $9,445 cash on hand.[94][95]
Toth campaigned on demanding an end to Democratic committee chairs in the Texas House,supporting school choice,and limiting the House Speaker to two terms to reduce his power over individual Texas House members.[96][97]
In the Republican primary on March 5,2024,Toth defeated Hubert 66% to 34%,winning again by a two-to-one margin.[98][99][100] After the victory,Toth said "Priorities include passing a Secure Classroom Act and the Classroom Teachers' Bill of Rights,which will be a companion bill to state Sen. Brandon Creighton's Senate bill."[100] On November 5,2024,Toth won re-election to the Texas House since no Democrat filed to run against him.
Personal life
Toth and his wife,Babette Jayne Toth (born 1957),have three children and two grandchildren.[101] They have resided in Montgomery County since 1997.[49]
Election results
2024 Republican primary for Texas 15th district state representative
Montgomery County is a county in the U.S. state of Texas. As of the 2020 U.S. census,the county had a population of 620,443. The county seat is Conroe. The county was created by an act of the Congress of the Republic of Texas on December 14,1837,and is named for the town of Montgomery. Between 2000 and 2010,its population grew by 55%,the 24th-fastest rate of growth of any county in the United States. Between 2010 and 2020,its population grew by 36%. According to the U.S. Census Bureau,the estimated population is 711,354 as of July 1,2023.
Conroe is a city in and the county seat of Montgomery County,Texas,United States,about 40 miles (64 km) north of Houston. It is a principal city in the Houston–The Woodlands–Sugar Land metropolitan area.
Shenandoah is a city in Montgomery County,Texas,United States. Its population was 3,499 at the 2020 census. It is the hometown of David Vetter,the famous "boy in the plastic bubble". In 1986,the Shenandoah city council renamed Tamina School Road to David Memorial Drive in honor of Vetter.
Kevin Patrick Brady is an American politician who served as the U.S. representative for Texas's 8th congressional district from 1997 to 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party. The district includes northern Houston,including The Woodlands. He retired after the 2022 election cycle.
Texas's 8th congressional district of the United States House of Representatives includes all of Polk and San Jacinto counties,and parts of Harris,Walker,and Montgomery counties. It includes much of the northern outlying areas of metro Houston,including Conroe,Magnolia,and most of Lake Livingston. The current Representative from the 8th district is Morgan Luttrell and has been since 2023.
Thomas David Williams,known as Tommy Williams,is a Republican former member of the Texas Senate,who represented District 4 in The Woodlands in Montgomery County in the Houston suburbs.
Michael L. "Mike" Galloway is previously a Republican member of the Texas Senate representing District 4. Galloway defeated Democratic incumbent Carl Parker and became the first Republican to hold the seat since Reconstruction.
The 2012 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas were held on Tuesday,November 6,2012,to elect the 36 U.S. representatives from the state of Texas—an increase of four seats in reapportionment following the 2010 United States census. The elections coincided with the elections of other federal and state offices,including a quadrennial presidential election and an election for the U.S. Senate. The primary election had been scheduled to be held on March 6,2012,with a runoff election on May 22;because of problems arising from redistricting,the primary was postponed to May 29,and the run-off to July 31.
Texas Patriots PAC is a Super PAC based in The Woodlands in southeastern Texas. The group gained national attention when it hosted a Republican presidential debate in November 2011 between candidates Herman Cain and Newt Gingrich. The debate was conducted in the "Lincoln-Douglas" style,which Gingrich then went on to make a central theme of his campaign,promising to challenge President Obama to seven "Lincoln-Douglas" style debates,at three hours each,should he win the GOP nomination.
Cecil Ivan Bell Jr. is a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 3,which initially encompassed Waller County and is now entirely a portion of populous Montgomery County in Southeast Texas.
Charles Brandon Creighton is an American attorney and politician from Conroe,Texas,who is a Republican member of the Texas Senate from District 4,and a former member of the Texas House of Representatives from District 16.
Daniel G. Huberty is an American businessman,who was a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 127 in Harris County from 2011 to 2023.
Mark James Keough is a former American businessman and a former Christian pastor,radio host,educator,and politician from The Woodlands,Texas,who has been serving as the Montgomery County County Judge since January 2019. He previously served as a Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 15 in suburban Montgomery County north of Houston. On May 31,2017,Keough announced that he would not be running for re-election in 2018 to the Texas House but would instead contest the office of County Judge. On November 6,2018,Keough defeated Democrat Jay Stittleburg by a three-to-one margin.
The 2018 United States Senate election in Texas was held on November 6,2018,along with other elections to the United States Senate and elections to the United States House of Representatives in additional states. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Ted Cruz secured a second term,defeating Democratic candidate Beto O'Rourke. The primary for all parties was held on March 6,2018,making it the first primary of the 2018 season. As Cruz and O'Rourke both won majorities in their primaries,they did not participate in the May 22 runoff primary that was held for some nominations in Texas.
The 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Texas were held on Tuesday,November 6,2018. Voters elected the 36 U.S. representatives from the state of Texas,one from each of the state's 36 congressional districts. The elections coincided with the elections of other offices,including the gubernatorial election,as well as other elections to the House of Representatives,elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. The primaries were held on March 6 and the run-offs were held on May 22.
Briscoe Cain is an American attorney and Republican member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 128.
The 2022 Texas gubernatorial election took place on November 8,2022,to elect the governor of Texas. Incumbent Republican Governor Greg Abbott won re-election to a third term,defeating the Democratic nominee,former Congressman Beto O'Rourke. All statewide elected offices are currently held by Republicans. In his previous gubernatorial race in 2018,Abbott won with 55.8% of the vote.
The 87th Texas Legislature was a meeting of the legislative branch of the U.S. state of Texas,composed of the Texas Senate and the Texas House of Representatives. The Texas State Legislature met in Austin,Texas,from January 12,2021,to May 31,2021. Governor Greg Abbott has announced three special legislative sessions during summer 2021.
Will Metcalf is a member of the Texas House of Representatives,16th District,which encompasses Montgomery County,Texas,approximately 55 miles north of Houston. As of 2021–2022,he is Chairman of the House Administration Committee which oversees all operations of the House,including its rules,policies and procedures,as well as its members,officers,and employees. He also serves on the committees for International Relations &Economic Development,and House State Affairs.
↑ Lee, David (August 4, 2020), Texas GOP Lawmakers Challenge $295M Contact-Tracing Deal, Pasadena, California: Courthouse News Service, retrieved August 6, 2020, State Representatives Mike Lang, Kyle Biederman, William Zedler, Steve Toth and state Senator Bob Hall sued Abbott, a fellow Republican, as well as the Texas Department of State Health Services and Frisco-based MTX Group in Travis County District Court for violations of the Texas Constitution.
1 2 Elliott, Rebecca; Tresaugue, Matthew (March 2, 2016). "Green holds off Garcia; Brady, Culberson stave off challenges". Houston Chronicle. Houston, Texas. Retrieved March 2, 2016. His challengers said Brady has compromised too often, most recently by voting for a year-end spending measure that conservative activists say lacked limits on Planned Parenthood or refugees from Syria and Iraq.
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